Happy Valentine’s Day! And like any other holiday, or really any day, your ears deserve musical treats. So, below you will find a Spotify playlist containing some tracks we are spinning. Since not all of the songs are on Spotify, you can find additional tracks below the playlist in the form of videos, links, and FREE DOWNLOADS!
There’s a whole lotta love here so get ready to turn it up!
Dean Jones, check. Trombone, check. Adorable furry friend, check! I’m sold! Bonus:The good people of Dog On Fleas would like to share their love with fans of all ages by offering a flea, er, free download. If you download this track in February, and send Dog On Fleas a message with your email address, they will send you a bonus track!! As in… buy one, get one flea. Or you can go to their Facebook page and message them (and like them while you are there).
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Laura Doherty – “In a Heartbeat”
I love the disco break in the middle of this song. The beats are good, Laura’s voice is gorgeous and the photos breathe love.
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Alex Mitnick of Alex & The Kaleidescope Band has been a dad for almost a year now. In awe of his son, Miles, Alex was inspired to write the song “Feelin’ Fine” to celebrate Miles’ first Valentine’s Day. It’s also a sneak peek into Alex’s upcoming album entitled Love Songs For My Baby. As a special gift for Valentine’s Day, Alex is also offering a free download of this song.
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Mariana Iranzi – “Valentine’s Day Song” A bi-lingual valentine’s song with bold color, fun puppets and a beautiful translation.
Lyrics translation:
“I have a heart so big like the sun
beats like a drum
I have a heart without sorrow nor resentment
sing like the nightingale
I have a heart open like a flower
dance with emotion
I have a heart full of hope
I want to give you all my love”
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Poochamungas – Valentine’s Day I unfortunately can’t embed the player here but I can tell you that the song is a fun one and the tone accurately expresses the experience of spending time making cards on Valentine’s Day. http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_19910031
Christmas is right around the corner! Hopefully things are starting to slow down a bit for many of you as Christmas shopping is nearing completion. Although this is still a hectic period for me, listening to holiday music seems to bring me back to what this time of year truly means. So, I have another little list of songs that captures the joy, peace and even humor of the season. Enjoy!
This song was featured in my Songs for the Season Part 1 holiday list last year but I didn’t have a video to post, until now. “Sunny Christmas” is the title track from a 6 song EP that Renee & Jeremy released last year. The EP is done in Renee & Jeremy’s soft, peaceful style. I believe I referred to their music as “comfort food for your soul.” In the video for “Sunny Christmas,” R&J reached out to fans to put together a beautiful montage that captures the harmony, love and togetherness of the holiday season. Sunny Christmas can be sampled and purchased through Renee & Jeremy’s site, CDBaby, iTunes and Amazon.
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Zak Morgan – “Snow Day”
Zak Morgan’s music is good, and that’s putting it mildly. Zak Morgan’s videos are reallllyyyyyy gooood! In many ways, it’s as if the two share a symbiotic relationship; The videos bring to life the spirit and wit of the songs. After last year’s awesome Halloween video for “The Case of the Dry Markers,” which featured Bootsy (“Bootzilla”) Collins, Morgan comes back with “Snow Day,” featuring a life-sized chicken, although that is just one of the many highlights of this video. “Snow Day” can be found on Morgan’s 2012 release Barber of the Beasts which is available through the Zak Morgan store, Amazon and iTunes.
Pointed Man Band – “All That Krampus Wants (is High-Fives! for the Holidays)”
From the Portland, Oregon band, a song about Krampus who has been misunderstood. Ready for redemption, all he wants is a high-five, fist bump or five fingered endorsement to set him on a good path for the holidays. That’s fair, right? Although this song is a little more indie than kindie, it (and Pointed Man Band) gets points for taking a clever approach to holiday music. It was released last year, but their full-length debut, Swordfish Tango, made it out this year. Both are definitely worth a listen. You can purchase this single and Swordfish Tango through the Bandcamp widget below.
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Poochamungas – “Santa’s Eating Pancakes”
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Santa knows it. As he prepares to drive his sled, he’s eatin’ up some pancakes. Featuring vocals from the band Strain Busy Sky, Poochamungas celebrates Christmas in a charitable way as the proceeds from the sale of this track will go to the Ignite the Spirit Fund. Ignite the Spirit Fund aims to provide assistance, support and food for families of the Chicago Fire Department. You can purchase “Santa’s Eating Pancakes” from Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Stacey Peasley – “Under the Tree” and “Frosty the Snowman” Stacey Peasley is a Boston-based musician who has over 15 years of professional singing experience. A teacher for ten years, Peasley channels her love of children and music into an engaging experience filled with catchy songs. Just in time for the holidays, Peasley has 2 singles for fans to enjoy. “Under the Tree,” is a bouncy, country tune that supports sibling love as one child writes to Santa telling him not to “forget about my brother/ even though he can be naughty/ he deserves some presents under the tree.” “Frosty the Snowman,” doesn’t stray too far from the original, but Peasley’s soaring vocals add depth along with a warm and cozy feeling. You can purchase these tracks from Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Key Wilde and Mr. Clarke – “(Sing a Song of) Christmas Cheer”
This one is an oldie but goodie! From their 2011 release Sing Songs of Christmas Cheer, comes a video filled with Wilde’s quirky (but highly appealing) illustrations. Get ready to Fa La La all the way to the new year with this catchy song done in KWMC’s beloved alt-country style. It’s like the “Twelve Days of Christmas” but without the counting and a little more spunk. You can purchase this album through Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
The Treetop Sisters are a trio of girls ages 11 and under. In their video for “Nicki and the Crew,” they merrily sing about St. Nick (humorously referred to as “Nicki”) and his crew on the night before Christmas. It’s a party up in the North Pole! Backed by some jazzy, be-bop flair, the Treetop Sisters will have your family dancing ’round the Christmas tree for sure. You can purchase this song through Amazon, CDBaby and iTunes.
Poochamungas is a Chicago based kindie band that makes music echoing the likes of “The Boss” (Bruce Springsteen), John Cougar, Jerry Lee Lewis and even some Elvis. On their second kindie album, Block Party, Poochamungas channel their rock n’ roll sensibilities to create a collection of songs that are all about family, music and fun!
John Joyce, lyricist for the band, writes songs that reminisce on memories from his own childhood, while capturing the delightful moments he experiences as a father. Many of the songs are sung in the first person, giving the album an overarching autobiographical feel. The lyrics form personal stories that depict the reflective thoughts of an adult, and the adventurous ones of a child. Joyce explains, “The title track, My Favorite Summer Day (Block Party) was a song that really took a journey for me. Block parties are such a city specific event. For kids, it’s like Christmas in July. We never had a block party on my street growing up, but we would visit a few that friends held every year. Lyrically [the song] was triggered by my own kids running around our yearly block party. Remembering how I loved block parties, and now seeing my own kids run around like I once did. So I wrote it in first person as a story of then and now.”
“Little Ballerina” is a spoken word poem that captures the bittersweet feelings parents have of wanting to hold on to a beautiful moment with their children, while at the same time realizing how fast they grow up. It’s a sweet poem from a father to his daughter and one that I can completely relate to as my own daughter just started Kindergarten. Where does the time go?!
We especially enjoyed “Refrigerator Box,” which captures the endless possibilities and wholesome fun to be had with a giant cardboard box and a little imagination. Lots of good ideas in this song! “Imagination Train,” is an awesome song with country and bluegrass influences. The lyrics will get you clapping and knee slapping as Anna Fermin‘s gorgeous voice emphatically calls listeners to “Take your ticket and get on board/ I’m the conductor, the engineer/ It’s the train in my imagination/ Destination anywhere.” The banjo and harmonica make excellent dancing partners in this song as well.
Block Party is an album filled with heart. With their straightforward musical style, Poochamungas delivers a solid set of tunes armed with the conviction that music is meant to by shared by all members of a community. In other words, their motto that good music knows no age speaks volumes here.
You can listen to digital samples, as well as purchase the album through CDBaby, iTunes and our affiliate Amazon.
Kids Can Groove 